Wealthfront is built for investors who move money into its custody and leave the portfolio there. Wealthnow does the opposite: the accounts stay where they are, and you approve each trade.
What is Wealthfront?
Wealthfront holds the account and runs a diversified ETF portfolio you do not trade yourself. Public pages on this site describe its advisory fee as about 0.25% of assets a year. Confirm the current fee on Wealthfront's own pricing page before you decide. It is a mature product for someone who wants the money moved and then left in place.
What is Wealthnow?
Wealthnow is the AI for investing. It connects 12,000+ brokerages and banks. At supported brokers it routes the trades you approve through your own account. The others connect read-only. Never custodial. Research cites filings and prices. Every order needs your approval of that order, and it passes a covered-sell check, an operator halt switch, and duplicate-order protection. The pricing page shows whether the app is free during beta.
Wealthnow vs Wealthfront
| Wealthfront | Wealthnow | |
|---|---|---|
| Custody | You transfer money into Wealthfront's account | Your existing broker keeps the assets |
| What it trades | The portfolio it runs after you fund it | Only the orders you approve, at supported brokers |
| Other accounts | Not the point of the product | A view across the brokers you connect |
| Who picks each order | The portfolio it runs | You approve each live trade |
Pick Wealthfront when you want a firm to hold the account and run it. Pick Wealthnow when you want research on the accounts you already have, with you still approving every order.
Frequently asked
Does Wealthfront hold my money?
Yes. Wealthfront's model is custody. You fund an account there. Wealthnow never custodies. The connected brokerage remains the custodian.
Does Wealthnow work like a robo-advisor?
No. A robo-advisor runs the portfolio for you, usually in an account you fund with it. Wealthnow works on the accounts you already have, and no trade is placed until you approve it.
Which is cheaper?
Pages on this site describe Wealthfront's advisory fee as about 0.25% of assets a year. Confirm the current fee on Wealthfront's site. Wealthnow is free to start. The pricing page shows the current consumer price.
